Vegan Alfredo sauce over Gluten Free spaghetti

One of the oldest ways to prepare pasta is with loads of butter and cheese, specifically parmesan - one of my favorite cheeses when I ate dairy! Luckily, I still get to eat vegan versions of it from time to time. It’s probably the most creamy, savory, and also heavy way to enjoy already ‘sinfully’ delicious food that is pasta. Alfredo sauce is based on that formula, with many variations - cream, sour cream, various melting cheeses, basically the richest white sauce you can think of.

One of the main foods that any vegan, or someone considering veganism worries about missing in their diet (i.e. palate) is cheese and other creamy dairy products. One of the reasons why I finally managed to cut dairy from my diet, going vegan from vegetarian, was moving to the States. Not only because cows and other animals are even more abused here than in my home country of Croatia, where mass production hasn’t hit these levels, and it probably never will, but because cheese here simply sucks. Yep, I said it. For a European, american cheese is a joke. You have to shop at the fancy section of a fancy market (think Whole Foods) to find delicious good quality cheese, which ends up being imported European cheese most of the time.

If you are one of those vegans missing their fave cheese and cream, worry no more! Here’s a fabulous variation of Alfredo sauce, a creamy white cheese sauce over pasta. Hint: It packs on more veggies that the eye can see!

Btw, Alfredo sauce is usually paired with fettuccine pasta (honestly, I did not know that). If you find gluten free fettuccine pasta, please let me know! So far I’ve only had spaghetti, fussily and macaroni.

VEGAN ALFREDO SAUCE OVER GLUTEN FREE SPAGHETTI

PASTA

(makes 2, with some leftovers):

1/4 package gluten free spaghetti

1/2 large zucchini, spiralized in noodlesDIRECTIONS: Cook the pasta in salty water according to package directions; each gluten free pasta is different. Make sure it’s not too hard, or overcooked! Drain and set aside. Optional: add a tbsp of olive oil to separate and prevent sticking. Spiralize or slice the zucchini into noodles, set aside.

ALFREDO SAUCE

1/2 cup cashews, preferably soaked

1 cup almond milk, unsweetened

3-4 tbsp nutritional yeast (can put more if you really like it)

2 tbsp vegan cream cheese (optional)

1/4 vegetable bullion, I used Herbed from Rapunzel

1 cup cauliflower, grilled

salt and pepper to taste

ADD-ON: 1/4 cup of peas and corn, lightly steamed or rawDIRECTIONS: Cut the cauliflower in florets and grill until soft, optionally over a tbsp of coconut oil. You can steam it as well, I just like the grilled taste. Place all ingredients, except peas and corn, into a Vitamix or other high speed blender, and blend until smooth. Add more water or milk if necessary or you prefer a more liquid sauce. Cashews make it thick and creamy. I used approximately a cup of milk, just to cover all the cashews.

Mix your pasta, zucchini noodles, peas and corn, and Alfredo sauce together in a bowl. If the sauce is too cold or you just want to heat it up, then mix it in a pan and stir over medium heat for a minute or two. Heating the sauce will thicken it up a bit, in case it ended up too liquid for your taste. OPTIONAL: add a few tbsp of your favorite vegan cheese and let it melt (I like Daiya cheddar)!